Fears over waste collection 'nasty surprises'

PLANS to change the company responsible for cleaning streets and collecting household rubbish in a bid to save almost £3.5million has sparked fears residents could be hit by charges and other nasty surprises in the near future.

PLANS to change the company responsible for cleaning streets and collecting household rubbish in a bid to save almost £3.5million has sparked fears residents could be hit by charges and other nasty surprises in the near future.

Ealing Council claims giving the 15-year, £250million contract to Enterprise Managed Services from April, instead of current provider, May Gurney, will only bring benefits.

But Councillor Mark Reen, shadow finance leader, says the terms of the contract pave the way for charging for garden waste collection, getting rid of the white sacks used to store bulky plastic and even the introduction of wheelie bins to enable fortnightly rubbish and recycling collections.

He pointed out these options had been drafted into the agree

ment between the company and the council and said: "There is the strong possibility of the introduction of charges for garden waste collection and the question you have to ask is this the thin edge of the wedge?"

He fears the options would not only be unpopular but mean more fly-tipping of garden waste, costing the council to clear, and less recycling, leading to more black bags and more charges for the council in landfill tax.He said: "Officers have worked hard on this for a year, the biggest contract the council has by some distance.

"If the administration weren't planning to do it then why is it in the service specification?"

The opposition have called in the decision which will now be debated further at a scrutiny meeting next month.

But Bassam Mahfouz, environment cabinet member, dismissed Mr Reen's comments, insisting there were no current plans to bring in these changes and the council would consult

residents if it did.

He said the options were negotiated with the contractor just in case they were brought in within the contract's 15-year lifespan.

He said such changes could be made anyway but by negotiating costs beforehand the council was in a position to get better value for money.

He said it was a Labour Party manifesto commitment not to introduce fortnightly collections and if white sacks for plastic were removed, saving £100,000, the boxes would be changed to allow residents easily to put all their recycling in the same container, making the process easier.

Mr Mahfouz said it would bring benefits such as streets cleaned on the same day as household rubbish is collected, park bins emptied more frequently and streets surrounding busy shopping areas being cleaned every day.

He added: "Re-tendering will bring huge potential savings to the council while improving front line services." ..SUPL: